Czech government rejects early election proposed by Zeman

A similar statement was made by Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek, deputy chairman of TOP 09, a coalition government member.

Kalousek said Zeman could say about the government whatever he wanted, but it is only responsible to the Chamber of Deputies.

"Under the constitution, the government is responsible to the Chamber of Deputies, not to the president," Necas said.

"The government will continue as long as it has a majority in the Chamber of Deputies and is able to pursue its coalition programme," Necas said.

Kalousek said Zeman had a right to his view, but it did not mean any approaching of early elections.

"The statement may make an echo in the media, because it was made by the future president, but in our constitutional system it does not have any weight. Milos Zeman will not decide on this," Kalousek said.

ODS deputy chairman Martin Kuba said Zeman's view was part of his anti-government campaign and the position of a leftist candidate.

The government makes sense for the ODS if it fulfils its programme, although the party is not happy at the current situation in the coalition and changes in the parties that are part of it, Kuba said.

Kuba said the prepared new pact of coalition parties on what the government wanted to implement in the rest of its term did not bring any major change over which it should ask the Chamber of Deputies for confidence.

Social Democrat deputy chairman Zdenek Skromach and Communist deputy chairman Jiri Dolejs said in a televised debate that Zeman had received a direct support from a substantial part of the general public.

Czechs spoke clearly against the Necas government, they said.

Early elections should be held as soon as possible in the Czech Republic, Zeman told Czech Television (CT) on Saturday evening.

Zeman said the centre-right government relied on the LIDEM party that was never elected by anyone.

Zeman said this was his civic view he would not hide as the president.

"In fact, this is not any government arisen from free elections because at least LIDEM was not elected by anyone in free elections," said Zeman, who was elected by 54.8 percent of voters.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz